Pineapple Banana Hummingbird Cake {VIDEO}

Hummingbird Cake is a classic Southern recipe made with pineapples, bananas, and pecans. It’s easy as can be when you use a few shortcuts and a loaf pan. The cream cheese frosting is literally the icing on the cake.

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Hummingbird Cake 

If you have never tried a hummingbird cake, let me tell you now, you are in for a real treat! This amazing dessert is one of a kind creation. If you’ve ever dreamed of combining carrot cake and banana bread, then this is the cake for you!

The unique blend of fresh ingredients makes for a delicately light and moist end result that is almost too good to be true. It’s the ideal dessert to make for any special occasion, or for those hard days that deserve to end with a large slice of cake. It can be made as a layer cake or bundt cake, but since it’s reminiscent of banana bread, we love to bake it up in a loaf pan.

It will be love at first bite, so why wait any longer to fall in love! Grab your apron and get baking!

What is a Hummingbird Cake?

Like I said before, the hummingbird cake is meant for lovers of banana bread and carrot cake because the ingredients come together to leave you with the best qualities of both. While you won’t find any shredded carrots in this recipe, the spice blend and chopped nuts will remind you of everything you love about carrot cake.

You’ll find a mixture of perfectly sweetened, ripe bananas, crushed pineapple, and a delightful cream cheese glazed, drizzled on top.

No one is really certain about how this cake got its name… some say that the cake is so delicious it makes you hum with happiness while others think the cake is named because it’s sweet enough for hummingbirds. Another theory is that people hover around the cake similar to the way hummingbirds hover around flowers……….. regardless of how it got its name, this Southern tradition is a flavor combination that can’t be beaten!

How To Make a Hummingbird Cake

(full printable recipe at the end of this post)

If you have an hour to spare, then you’ll want to spend it whipping up a loaf, or two of your own hummingbird cake. With less than 20 minutes of hands-on time needed to make this recipe, it comes together in no time.

Preheat the oven and prepare your loaf pans and set them aside for later. Next, you will begin to combine cake mix, pudding mix, cinnamon, reserved pineapple juice, eggs, and oil until well blended. Fold in crushed pineapple, bananas.

Once the batter is ready, pour it evenly into loaf pans and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. While loaves are baking, make the icing by combining the softened cream cheese with milk and sugar until smooth.
Once the hummingbird cake is baked to perfection, drizzle the cream cheese icing over cooled loaves and sprinkle with chopped pecans.

Tips for Making The Best Hummingbird Cake 

• Add 1/2 cup chopped pecans to cake batter when folding in pineapple and bananas if you’d like an extra crunch.
• Using oil instead of butter means the batter doesn’t require any excessive beating.
• Use canned or fresh pineapple. To use fresh without spending the time cutting up a whole pineapple, try buying the fresh pineapple chunks in the grocery store produce or prepared foods section.

Ways to Store and Serve Humming Bird Cake

Storing in the refrigerator: Due to the cream cheese frosting, the iced hummingbird cake should be kept in the refrigerator, and eaten within 5-6 days. Store in an airtight container and allow the cake to come to room temperature before serving.

Storing in the freezer: If you plan to store the already iced cake in the freezer follow these directions for proper storage. First place the cake, unwrapped in the freezer for about 4 hours. Once the cake and icing have frozen, wrap the entire cake in a layer of plastic wrap, then cover with a layer of foil. This will keep the cake from drying out for up to 4 months.

To serve from the freezer: Once you’re ready to serve, remove the hummingbird cake from the freezer and place it in the refrigerator to thaw overnight.

More Easy Dessert Recipes Perfect for Spring

Carrott Cake Gooey Butter Cake – We are giving the traditional Gooey Butter Cake a spring twist with all the flavors of our favorite carrot cake! It’s a spice cake chock-full of real carrots with cream cheese and pecan gooey filling to put it over the top!

Lemon Sheet Cake – Super moist and makes a wonderful spring or summer dessert that easily feeds a crowd. It may not be a fancy cake, but each slice is pure lemon bliss!

Cake Batter Puppy Chow Mix – a doggone good crispy chocolate-covered snack mix with the flavor of cake batter built-in! Also known as Muddy Buddies but everyone will call them addictingly delicious!

Raspberry Filled Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting – The perfect combo of vanilla and raspberry. Tender vanilla cupcakes are filled with a fresh raspberry filling, then topped with silky smooth vanilla buttercream. Perfect for any occasion!

Potted Chocolate Cheesecake – These may look like darling potted herbs, but these Potted Chocolate Cheesecake sprout to life when they are topped with ground cookie “dirt” and a sprig of fresh mint!

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Tools Used To Make This Hummingbird Cake

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Stainless Steel Measuring Cups

This set of stainless steel measuring cups is by far my favorite set! The stainless steel is durable and easy to clean, and the 5 different sizes make it easy to perfectly measure any of your ingredients.

Glass Bowl Set

Everyone should have a good set of mixing bowls in their kitchen. This set is my favorite because the variety of sizes means I always have exactly what I need available.

Ruffled Loaf Pan:

Step up your quick bread with this sophisticated ruffled loaf pan. This durable, scratch and heat-resistant loaf pan is ideal for all of your quick bread recipes!

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UPDATED APRIL 2020. We spiffed up this post with more info and better pictures! No changes to the original recipe.